Benefits of Sweet Potatoes for Dogs
If you are a dog owner, you know how important proper nutrition is when it comes to the good health of your friend. Sweet potatoes are packed with wholesome nutrition, but are not used enough in pet food & treats. Below are a few of the benefits of using sweet potatoes in your dog’s diet.
- Sweet potatoes make excellent chewable treats
- They are less attractive to bacteria
- You get the full benefit of an unprocessed food
- They have more nutritional value
- Sweet potatoes are not difficult to digest
Dogs love to chew. It strengthens their jaws, cleans their teeth and keeps them occupied and happy. Unlike wolves and coyotes in the wild, pet dogs do not have many things they can chew, so they chew on their owner’s shoes and other leather items inside the house. To save their shoes, many owners give toys or rawhide to satisfy their urges to chew. However, there are concerns about using rawhide as a chewable treats for dogs, one being the risk of choking on the rawhide.
In order to give their dogs safe and nutritious chewable treats, many pet owners can use alternatives to rawhide. One of the most popular among these alternatives is the sweet potato dog chew. Sweet potato chew treats are better than animal rawhide for many reasons. Below are more reasons as to why sweet potatoes are good chews.
Unlike rawhide, which are made from animal skins, sweet potato dog treats are made from a vegetable and are therefore less susceptible to being colonized by bacteria and other microorganisms. Dogs can enjoy chewing these treats without the danger of getting sick from bacteria such as e-coli.
The animal skin used in making rawhide need to go through many processes in order to make them last a long time. Those processes could possibly include added chemical preservatives. On the other hand, sweet potato chew treats are simply made by baking sliced sweet potatoes in the oven for twenty to thirty minutes. Then they are placed on the freezer for several days to further remove the remaining moisture. Chemicals are not needed to preserve the sweet potato treat because vegetables are not very conducive to microorganisms.
Pet owners who want to maximize their dog’s potential would surely like the treats they give their dogs to be nutritious. Rawhide made from animal skins are lacking nutrition, as skins are probably the least nutritious part of any animal. On the other hand, Sweet Potato Dog Treats are rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Calcium and Iron. Not only will the dog love sweet potatoes’ sweet taste, they may also become healthier eating them.
Rawhide are almost similar to leather. Both are made from animal skin and when they are dried and processed, they are very difficult to digest. Dogs who chew rawhide and swallow a lot of them may find themselves having tummy aches. On the other hand, sweet potato is made of starch. If it’s immersed in water, it will disintegrate and dissolve. Stomach acid can also break down starch easily. A dog can eat many of these snacks safely.
Most dog owners would give anything to make their dogs happy and healthy. Because chewing is a favorite hobby among dogs, many pet owners give them rawhide. Unfortunately rawhide are not really very safe, that is why many dog owners are switching to sweet potato chews. Sweet potatoes are one of the safest and most nutritious food options for your dogs.
Is Peanut Butter Safe for Dogs?
We often get asked whether peanut butter is safe for dogs? While there are some human foods that are not safe to feed pets, peanut butter is a safe & healthy snack. Dogs love the its delicious taste, which is why there are many Peanut Butter Dog Treats available. To provide optimum nutritional benefits and flavor, we recommend picking a brand that does not include added salts, sugars and hydrogenated oils. As with anything in life, please feed in moderation.
Nutrition for Dogs
Peanuts are a natural source of antioxidants, monounsaturated fat, and vitamins, especially vitamin E, vitamin H & vitamin B. These nutrients can help provide a healthy coat and a stronger immune system. Peanut Butter contains a balanced level of protein and carbohydrates which can help increase energy and stamina. This is why many pet owners feed peanut butter to hunting dogs or dogs in agility trials.
Keep Fido Occupied
Does your canine struggle with separation anxiety? There are many non-toxic rubber toys available that can be stuffed with peanut butter or other snacks, which will keep dogs occupied for a while. For an added bonus, mix the peanut butter with kibble or small biscuits before stuffing the toy. This can be an effective method of dealing with boredom, anxiousness and separation anxiety.
Makes Giving Pills & Medicine Easy
It is irritating to feed your pet a medicine or supplement, only to see them spit it out. We have found that covering pills & tablets with peanut butter can make this an easier task and make pet parenting a more pleasant experience. It is often much easier and less stressful to disguise medicine as a treat, than to force it on the dog.
Dog Treats
There are many recipes available to prepare homemade snacks, but you can also find many prepared natural treats that feature wholesome ingredients and do not require you to bake at home. These products come in a variety of recipes, textures & sizes. NaturalPetWarehouse.com carries a variety of Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits that are Made in the USA.
Good Chewing Habits for Dogs
Chewing is a natural behavior in dogs, it starts at a young age when teeth start coming in. Puppies typically chew because it is helps soothe the pain of teeth coming through the gums. Adult dogs chew for a variety of reasons which can include separation anxiety, boredom or even because it is just an enjoyable thing to do. It is important to instill good chewing habits at a young age, which can help prevent your furry friends from thinking that furniture, shoes or other objects in the home are for their chewing enjoyment.
A good method in starting to promoting healthy chewing behavior is to provide wholesome treats and toys that are designed for that purpose. We have found that most bully sticks and rubber toys are of high quality and provide long lasting chewing sessions most dogs thoroughly enjoy. Many pet owners scold their dogs for chewing inappropriate objects, but we have found that redirecting them to an appropriate object is much more effective. When you see your dog chewing on a toy or treat that you approve of, we recommend praising and rewarding this behavior
Here at NaturalPetWarehouse.com, we have knowledge in chewing habits and what is appropriate for different breeds and sizes of dogs. We carry a variety of Bully Sticks and durable toys that can be used to promote good chewing habits.
Smile! It's Friday!
The weekend is here! Remember to spend quality time with your dogs, cats and even the humans in your life. Be sure to check out all our new products by Northwest Naturals, Clear Conscience Pet & Crumps Naturals. Click Here to shop our new freeze-dried dog treats.
Introducing: Clear Conscience Pet
We are proud to introduce Clear Conscience Pet to our ever expanding selection of natural dog treats. NaturalPetWarehouse.com has chosen to carry their products after analyzing their ingredients, location of production, the methods of production and realizing that their goals match ours, which is to provide great nutrition for our loved companions.
Clear Conscience Pet is a 100% family owned and operated business which provides natural chews, jerky style treats and a wholesome food topper. They select the highest quality human grade ingredients and produces the products in the USA at an USDA inspected human food level production environment.
Each treat is either slow oven roasted or is cooked in a smokehouse to help retain the nutrients and provide optimum flavor. Clear Conscience Pet is committed to providing USA made dog treats that feature all natural ingredients. Their products contain NO artificial preservatives, artificial colors, flavors, synthetic supplements or GMO ingredients.
We are proud to carry fine products that are produced in honest and safe methods and are confident that your 4 legged companions enjoy them. Click Here to see Clear Conscience Pet Dog Treats.
Featured Product of the Week, Crumps' Naturals
Protect your dogs health by providing all natural snacks that are feature whole food ingredients. Crumps Naturals specializes in producing limited ingredient dog treats that feature wholesome nutrition. Some of their most popular products are Sweet Potato Rawhide, Beef Tendersticks and Lamb Chops.
Crumps Naturals cares about your pets health and does regular in-house and accredited third party lab testing to check for safety. They are certificated by Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). All the ingredients used are sourced from trusted sourced in North America and all ingredients, packaging and finished products are fully traceable.
This week we are promoting Crumps Naturals Sweet Potato Chews. This product is a single ingredient dog treat that is packed with flavor and nutrition. It is made with 100% North American grown sweet potatoes which are a natural source of vitamins, minerals and beta-carotene. Many customers use this product as an alternative to feeding rawhide.
NaturalPetWarehouse.com is a leading retailer of pet supplies which include dog treats, vitamins & supplements, toys, freeze-dried food, grooming products & more.